New figures show that Australia’s unemployment rate relapsed to a decade-high of six percent in June. Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday showed a 0.1-percentage-point increase in the unemployment rate in June, matching the highest since July 2003. This is while economists had expected the jobless rate to stay at the revised rate of 5.9 percent in May, up from... 

Australian demonstrators have taken to the streets across the country to protest against the government’s budget cuts. The Sunday protest, dubbed Bust the Budget, saw over 6,000 people show up in Sydney. The ralliers were waving trade union flags and holding budget-protest placards. As many as 30,000 people, including union members, lawyers and nurses, braved the cold weather in Melbourne to... 

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison Australia says it is set to introduce tougher reforms in the case of the country’s asylum-seeker policy, placing more pressure on refugees to prove their claims. According to Migration Amendment (Protection and Other Measures) Bill 2014, introduced by Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, visas may be denied to those who fail to present... 

Do you have a bank account that you don’t actively use or a safe deposit box that you have not checked on for a while? If so, you might want to see if the government has grabbed your money. This sounds absolutely crazy, but it is true. All over the world, governments are shortening the time periods required before they can seize “dormant bank accounts” and “unclaimed property”. For example,... 

Australian researchers announced on Monday that a super-enriched genetically engineered banana to improve the lives of millions of people in Africa will soon have its first human trial and will test its effect on vitamin A levels. “The project plans to have the special banana varieties – enriched with alpha and beta carotene which the body converts to vitamin A – growing in Uganda... 

Australia’s biggest defense expenditure ever of USD 15 billion to be used for purchasing 72 US F-35 fighter jets has triggered a debate, with some saying that the planes are not worth the high costs, local press reports say. Australia has committed to purchasing the F-35 combat aircraft from the US, which itself is spending 1 trillion dollars on the biggest defense program in its history. However,... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s popularity has taken a nosedive in recent months with only 18 percent of voters supporting him, a new report shows. A new survey published in Crikey’s newsletter found that more Australians would prefer “someone else” than the current leader to head the ruling Liberal Party. The report found that only 18 percent of the voters are satisfied with the premier... 

We find it interesting, therefore, that the Australian government’s limit on mercury in complementary medicines is set at 0.5 ppm, as described in this TGA document. The document explains that “Incidental metals and non-metals” must be less than 5 ppm total, and mercury in particular must be under 0.5 ppm in order to meet the TGA’s “acceptance criteria.” Yet influenza vaccines contain... 

Flights across Australia have been affected by a vast ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in neighboring Indonesia. According to reports, the majority of flights in and out of the city of Darwin in northern Australia were cancelled on Saturday due to the volcanic eruption. Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at Darwin International Airport and it is not clear when the flights will resume. Australian... 

The passengers and crew of Australian planes have been exposed to potentially toxic fumes on over 1,000 occasions, a report reveals. Former cabin crew are now taking legal action, alleging the exposure is linked to cancers and neurological disorders. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released a report on aircraft safety documenting over 1,000 cases of exposure to toxic fumes on Australian... 

Thousands of Australian students continue their protest marches against government cuts to higher education. On Wednesday, a student gathering in front of the University of Technology in Sydney led to clashes with security forces. Sources say Australian police also arrested at least two students there. After the rally broke up, dozens of angry students staged a sit-in at an intersection, blocking... 

Australia’s highest court has officially admitted the existence of a third “non-specific” gender, putting an end to years of legal battle for sexual equality by the activist, Norrie. From now on, not everyone on the koala continent will be forced to identify themselves as a man or woman when dealing with officials, and could describe themselves as gender neutral. “The High Court…... 

The CIA base in Australia knows what happened to the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane, says a prominent analyst. “The CIA base in Alice Springs, Australia, knows precisely what happened to that plane,” said Kevin Barrett in a Press TV interview on Monday, pointing to the base’s access to military radar and satellite coverage in the area. He also stated that it would be impossible for radar... 

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the longest civil aircraft disappearance in modern history, has unearthed more questions than answers, as the mystery surrounding the fate of the missing jetliner continues to intensify with each passing day. An Australian aircraft spotted objects, including a wooden pallet, during the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Saturday, according... 

Australia has announced plans to buy a fleet of giant US drones to help patrol the nation’s borders, monitoring energy infrastructure and attempts to enter the country illegally. On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the Triton Unmanned Aerial Vehicles would be based in the southern city of Adelaide, AFP reported. “These aircraft will patrol Australia’s vast ocean...